Posted Sept. 3, 2020, 1:35 a.m. by Lieutenant Revna Edman (Counselor) (Jennifer Ward)
Revna was in her quarters sitting on her couch holding a pillow, shaking her head ruefully. She’d just happily, and loudly, kicked her sister out. Her sister was so happy Revna had a headache. Runa was seeing someone, and obviously liked him. She was happy for Runa, she just needed a break. Plus all the laughing at her sister’s expense made her chest and lungs ache. Runa had happily dodged the pillow Revna threw at her as she left her quarters. The last weeks on Centurion had been confusing and hollow. Being reassigned to Atlantis had been good for her. She had no regrets about what had happened to her, but she knew it would be a long time in healing. Though she didn’t fear Walker himself, she still woke up at night, fighting for air, the inability to scream, as her mind processed what had happened. She would be a long time in her own therapy sessions.
But right now she wasn’t really worried about that. She had expected to take several weeks to adjust to a new ship and a new cres. That had been an incorrect expectation. Atlantis seemed to be the place for those who needed a home. Runa had come by almost as soon as she got back to her room. She’d been eager to hear all about “Tall, Dark, and Brooding,” as she referred to Nash. The description made Revna laugh softly. Runa had come into her quarters, gotten popcorn and drinks, and flopped down on the floor with a pillow. As if they were going to sit, talk, and giggle like they were kids again. However Revna had not been in the mood to exchange stories of their dates. She still couldn’t figure out what Nash was up to, and since that was her job, to figure out why people did what they did, it was driving her batty. She didn’t consider Nash as part of her job, but more than anything, Ethan Nash confused the hell out of her and kept her off balance.
’Revna, love, you think too much.’ The voice of the ghost startled her, bringing soft bitter sweet tears to her eyes, and the memories to life. ’No, I don’t. We have brains for a reason, Shauwn.’ His laughter had rang out. ‘You need to just feel. Trust me? The memory flashing through her mind achingly bitter sweet. She hadn’t thought about Shauwn in a very long time. He’d been a childhood sweetheart, and his loss had hurt terribly at the time. But it had been a long time ago.
Remembering his loss was always sad for her, and because she wouldn’t dismiss his memory: =^= Computer, play Standing Stones by Loreena McKennitt, softly level 2.=^= The haunting melody began and at first she just listened letting the memories come. Eventually she began to sing along, her voice not making a sound but a soft whisper that couldn’t quite get the words out completely. The song stretched into the room as if the memories were there as spectral beings to haunt her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHNmGl4MrXE
In one of these lonely Orkney Isles
There dwelled a maiden fair.
Her cheeks were red, her eyes were blue
She had yellow, curling hair.
Which caught the eye and then the heart
Of one who could never be
A lover of so true a maid
Or fair a form as she.
Across the lake in Sandwick
Dwelled a youth she held most true,
And ever since her infancy
He had watched these eyes so blue.
Revna remembered that day. She’d still been on Earth. Shauwn had come home from the Academy for a short visit. Her parents had always liked him, but she was still only 16 and Shauwn was 20 and in the Academy. They’d grown up together, but she was pretty sure her parents would not be happy about her seeing him, again, now that he was in Star Fleet and could be posted anywhere.
The land runs out to the sea -
It’s a narrow neck of land -
Where weird and grim the Standing Stones
In a circle where they stand.
They’d taken a boat out across the sea to see some of the stone megaliths on the islands. They were young and silly, and had whispered secrets while they sat among the ruins. Shauwn was very proud that day. Star Fleet was short handed and Shauwn was going to be stationed to a fighter wing. Revna had been really naive.
One bonny moonlight Christmas Eve
They met at that sad place.
With her heart in glee and the beams of love
Were shining on her face
When her lover came and he grasped her hand
And what loving words they said
They talked of future’s happy days,
As through the stones they strayed.
She thought he was incredibly brave, but had no doubt it was a joke, or simply the teachers trying to impress upon the young cadets the seriousness of protecting Earth. She never would have thought she was wrong. She took a deep breath and began to ‘sing’ again. The words that she could vocalize reflected a beautiful and rich voice, but one that her lungs simply couldn’t support right now.
They walked toward the lovers’ stone
And through it passed their hands.
They plighted there a constant troth
Sealed by love’s steadfast bands
He kissed his maid and then he watched her
That lonely bridge go o’er.
For little, little did he think
He wouldn’t see his darling more.
He had come home to tell his family, to tell her, all about how exciting it was. He’d been on rotation and he was home safe, and that was that. She’d known it, she’d been so sure of what the future looked like. They had arrived back at home with nothing amiss. They’d been happy and oh so young and ignorant.
But then…the next morning....Revna shook her head and got up and began to pace. She wouldn’t cry, she wouldn’t be able to breathe, but more importantly she’d mourned him already. To do so again didn’t respect his memory. She forced the air through her lungs over and over as the music played.
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Gazing out to sea
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Bring my love to me.
They could see the explosions in the atmosphere. He’d found her, in a rush, and without a word, kissed her and then disappeared as he was transported away. She hadn’t found out what was going on until her father and the rest of the adults came running to the main square and the meeting hall. The Breen were attacking Earth…
He turned his face toward his home
That home he did never see
And you shall have the story
As it was told to me.
When a form upon him sprang
With a dagger gleaming bright
It pierced his heart and his dying screams
Disturbed the silent night.
It was weeks before they got word. Revna could never bring herself to read the report. She didn’t want to know how it happened. She didn’t want to know he was a hero. She just wanted Shauwn. Alive and home. She’d been a child, but the hurt,if she tried hard enough, was still raw.
This maid had nearly reached her home
When she was startled by a cry.
And she turned to look around her
And her love was standing by,
His hand was pointing to the stars
And his eyes gazed at the light,
And with a smiling countenance
He vanished from her sight.
For a long time she’d wanted nothing more than to go with him, wherever he had gone. But life didn’t work that way, and neither had Runa. She’d picked Revna up and they’d found a way to honor his memory. Eventually she had grown up and as she got older she knew that the grief had subsided and was healing. She’d thrown herself into her work and school. That was how she ended up being a counselor. There were so many families torn apart from the Dominion and then the Breen. So many hurting children, so many hurting families. She’d never been able to stand for people to hurt and to fight, even with themselves. She’d found purpose and made a difference.
She quickly turned and home she ran
Not a word of this was said,
For well she knew at seeing his form
That her faithful love was dead.
And from that day she pined away,
Not a smile seen on her face,
And with outstretched arms she went to meet him
In a brighter place.
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Gazing out to sea
Standing Stones of the Orkney Isles
Bring my love to me.
Revna stopped her pacing, sat down and held a pillow against her for counter pressure. ‘Bring her, her love indeed.’ The song invoked the memory, but that’s all it was now, just a memory, and had been for quite some time now. She was older now and knew enough that their infatuation wouldn’t have lasted. She knew she’d held onto the grief too long then, it had served no purpose and it hadn’t protected the memories, only making them fade faster. She would always honor his memory, he had been important to her, but he was at rest for a long time now, and, with a cheeky grin at herself, Shauwn wasn’t who she was really thinking about.
‘Relax and trust me. I’m always up to something,’ Nash had told her. And gods help her she’d trusted him. It had been a very good decision on her part, she admitted with a smile.. =^=Computer drop the lights completely =^= Atlantis was still outside the nebula, and with the lights in her room off, the lights and colors from the nebula were shining and dancing around her quarters. Lighting it like northern lights dancing off the waves of the North Sea. Revna smiled, she still wasn’t sure how Nash had managed to pull that off. And honestly she wasn’t sure she wanted that mystery solved, it might take the enchantment away. She relaxed back on the couch, staring out at the nebula, breathing slowly as the ache went away. This was a view she didn’t want to forget.
Revna Edman
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